Is anybody here interested in setting up a C2 community for Unconventional Couples and/or Slash Couples? Please contact me if you're interested in starting it or being on the staff.

-

-

That afternoon, Joey finally came out of bed again after moping with Hugsy for much of the day. He was still wearing his bathrobe when he headed to the kitchen to get some food from the fridge. As he reheated the eggs and bacon that Ross and Rachel had made for him earlier, Joey was reminded of old days when he used to cook eggs for Chandler, and it made him feel lonely.

Just then, the intercom buzzed. Joey considered ignoring it, if it was just his friends trying to cheer him up again, but they had keys to the building and could let themselves in. Who else could it be, then?

So Joey answered the intercom. "Hello"

"Joey."

Joey jumped and gasped when he recognized the voice. "Ch-Chandler"

"Yeah, it's me, Joe. Can you let me in"

Becoming fidgety and anxious, Joey scratched the back of his head. "Uh, um, you-you sure that's a good idea"

"Joey, please" Chandler sounded desperate. "I need to talk to you. Don't leave me out here"

"Okay, okay." He reluctantly buzzed Chandler into the building.

"Thank you"

"Yeah, um, I'll see ya."

After that, Joey began to panic, not knowing what on earth to do now. Why was Chandler here? Had Ross and Rachel called him and talked him into coming over? They had said this morning that Chandler was upset when he heard about Joey losing his job.

Joey darted all around his apartment, trying to decide whether to hide in his bedroom or lock himself in the bathroom. But then he saw the scripts that Phoebe had left for him in the living room, and Joey got an idea. Grabbing a script and opening it to some random page, he sat down at the counter and ate his eggs while pretending to read his lines. This way, he wouldn't have to meet Chandler's eyes, and he could act like he was busy.

Soon Chandler arrived at the apartment door and knocked before coming in. "Joey"

Joey didn't look up, shoveling more eggs into his mouth and mumbling"Hey."

Chandler was rather disappointed not to be greeted by a crushing hug like the last time he visited. Joey seemed rather aloof as he bent over a script. "You're-you're rehearsing"

"Yeah, uh, Phoebe got me a bunch of auditions for next week so I can get a new job."

"Oh." Chandler was flustered and unhappy. Why wouldn't Joey even look at him?

"Yeah, so don't worry about me" he said. "I'm fine. You didn't need to come way out here to check on me."

Chandler sensed that Joey wanted him to go away, which distressed him deeply. "I-I just came-I just..." What could he do? Blurt out "I love you" now and hope that he wouldn't be rejected? Chandler gulped and told him quietly"Monica kissed Richard."

"What" Joey finally faced him and gasped, his eyes wide. "Richard"

Chandler nodded. "She drove to his apartment today and kissed him."

"Oh no" Joey got off the stool and went around the counter to hug him. "You okay"

Closing his eyes, Chandler sighed and returned the embrace with a crushing force. He had missed Joey's arms so much. "I-I just needed to see you" he moaned softly. "I..."

"It's okay." Joey hushed him and patted his back soothingly. However, he realized that he was getting a bit turned on by how tightly Chandler clung to him, and he felt dirty for that. Chandler obviously needed him just to be a friend right now, so Joey cleared his throat and tried to be more hopeful. "Wait, uh, are you sure it was Monica? Maybe it wasn't really her, like when we found that videotape at Richard's apartment, huh"

Chandler opened his eyes and shook his head. "She told me herself after she got home."

"What? Whoa" Joey couldn't believe this. "But how? Why"

Chandler finally pulled back and gazed into Joey's eyes soberly. "I-I think she did it... for the same reason I kissed you."

Joey blushed at this reminder and looked away uncomfortably. "B-because she was drunk" he asked with an uneasy shrug. That would help explain Monica's behavior, he supposed, though not excuse it. He still felt awful for kissing Chandler and dreaming of him since.

"No." Chandler frowned and made Joey face him again. "No, it wasn't because we were drunk, Joe. That was just an excuse because I was scared then. But it's not true." He caressed Joey's cheek tenderly and leaned close to kiss him, thinking that this would make his feelings clear.

Surprised, Joey was tempted to melt with the kiss, but he soon changed his mind and backed away. "Look, if-if you're just doing this to get back at Monica"

"It's not for revenge" Chandler looked hurt. "You think I'd do that? Really"

Joey apologized for his mistake, but felt helpless. "I'm sorry! I just-I don't know anything anymore since... since that night."

"I know." Chandler sighed with understanding. "Me too. I couldn't stop thinking about you after we kissed. That's why I needed to see you, Joe. That's why I came here now."

Joey remained confused. "But you said that you never wanted to see me again."

Chandler looked sorry now, and he whispered with regret"Phoebe told you that, huh"

Joey nodded and answered sadly"I thought maybe you hated me now."

"No! No, I only said that because I was so afraid, Joe. Afraid of what would happen if we lost control and kissed again, or more. I thought it was for the best, to stop seeing you and forget about what happened."

"Yeah" He was surprised that Chandler had a crisis of conscience too, and had not merely been disgusted and freaked out by what happened.

"Yeah. But I-I couldn't forget it, Joe. No matter what. I couldn't get over you." He choked up and took hold of Joey's hand anxiously. "And-and when I heard about you losing your job too, I got so worried about you..."

Joey came closer and hugged him reassuringly. "I'm okay." With great relief, they clung to each other and kissed each other warmly.

Chandler closed his eyes again and sighed. "Joey, I wanna live with you again. I never should have moved out. Let me come back"

Joey almost said yes, but then he remembered that it wasn't that simple. He frowned and felt terrible all over again about cheating. "But what are you gonna do about Monica, huh? And the babies" He hated the idea of breaking up their family.

Chandler explained"Well, they'll-they'll be all right, Joe. I mean, Monica's got Richard now, anyway. That's why she went and kissed him, because she still loves him and wants him back." He remained confident that Richard would change his mind and go back to Monica. "So we'll get divorced, and then it'll be over."

"But what about the babies" Joey repeated with concern. How could Chandler forget about them?

"They'll be okay" Chandler insisted, although he looked wistful and started to miss his children already. But he had decided to leave them for their own good, and he had to stand by that decision. "I already told Monica that she could keep Jack and Erica when I left. So they'll be with her and Richard, and they won't need me anymore."

"What" Joey gripped Chandler's arms in shock, and he couldn't believe that Chandler would abandon the kids like that. "You can't do that! You can't just leave them"

Chandler continued rationalizing the situation. "It's for the best, Joe. I mean, they're still babies, and they hardly even know who I am yet. I'm sure they'll forget me quickly once I'm gone. Besides, they really belong with their mom, you know, and I can't just take them from her after how long she's wanted them. How could I"

"But they're your kids too! I mean, what about getting joint custody or something? Don't you love them and wanna see them"

"Yes" Chandler got upset. He was making this sacrifice out of love, after all. "Of course I do, Joe, but we-we shouldn't split the twins up or have some vicious custody battle over them. That would be horrible" He still shuddered from the memory of his parents' bitter divorce. "Even if I could still be with the kids somehow, I'd-I'd only screw them up and be a horrible dad. They'll be much better off with Richard taking care of them; he's already raised kids of his own, so he'll know how to do everything right."

Joey finally started to understand the source of Chandler's misguided reasoning, but he shook his head and sighed patiently. "They're your kids, Chandler! Not his. Look, I know you're scared about being a dad and whatever, but that doesn't mean you should just step aside for Richard. They still need you. Besides, Richard's old enough to be the kids' grandpa. How weird is that gonna be for them, huh, and what if he dies while they're still growing up"

Chandler finally began to worry a little, but he argued stubbornly"Well-well, he's not that old. People are living longer all the time these days..."

"Chandler" Joey tried to shake some sense into him. "Look, even if Richard somehow makes a great stepfather, you can't just let the kids go and not be there for them at all. How would they feel when they grow up and they find out that their dad just left them-their dad who adopted them and wanted them too-just skipped out? Remember how you felt abandoned by your dad when you were a kid, and resented him moving to Vegas? Remember how mad and upset Phoebe was when she found out about her birthmother skipping out on her, and she realized that she'd been lied to all those years? If you love Jack and Erica, then you should try to hang on to them, Chandler, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Nothing's more important than family."

Joey's heartfelt speech finally got through to Chandler, and he now realized what a huge mistake he'd made. "You're right. Oh God, you're right! I'm sorry." He started to cry and shake all over. "I'm sorry"

"I know you are. I know." Joey embraced him tenderly and comforted him while he broke down into tears. "Shh, it's gonna okay."

"How" He felt quite ashamed and hopeless.

Joey tenderly reassured him. "Don't worry, we'll fix this. We'll fix everything. Come on" he turned and pulled Chandler with him to the phone. "Now first, we gotta talk to Monica about the twins and tell her that you didn't mean what you said, okay? You weren't thinking then and were, like, in shock after finding out about Richard."

Chandler nodded in agreement and tried to calm down. "Yeah. Okay, okay. I-I hope she's not mad, though."

"Well, I'll try to reason with her, I guess. Make her think of what's best for the kids. So, is she still at home, or did she head to Richard's place already"

"No, I think she's home."

So Joey dialed the number of the house in Westchester, and Chandler got anxious while they waited. Joey squeezed his hand while they sat together.

After some rings, Joey got the answering machine and said"Monica? Monica, are you there? Please pick up."

"J-Joey? Is that you" The twins could be heard in the background, and Monica's voice was unsteady.

"Yeah, it's me. Um, are you-are you all right" He could hear how distraught she was.

She didn't answer his question. "Is Chandler there with you"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, he's right here."

Her heart sank; she had hoped against hope that Chandler had turned the car around and was somewhere on his way home instead. "And you love him"

Startled and overcome with guilt, Joey hesitated. "Uh, well... Did Chandler tell you about"

"He told me he kissed you and he loves you" she replied, then choked up more violently. "And then he left! He just left us"

Joey spoke with deep remorse"I'm so sorry, Monica! I'm so-We're both very sorry about that. It just happened, and, um..." He gave up, thinking that it was pointless to go on, when she had gone and kissed Richard too. There were more urgent matters to handle. "Anyway, Monica, we really wanted to ask you about the babies, and what's gonna happen, you know, in the divorce. Chandler was wrong to say that he was just gonna give up the babies to you and Richard"

"Richard" she sounded exasperated. "Richard's not coming back! He's engaged."

"What" Joey was stunned by this news.

"He's moving to Paris in six weeks, and he doesn't love me" She sobbed. "I told Chandler all this. Why won't he believe me"

"I-I don't know" Joey said, letting go of Chandler's hand and looking at him harshly. "Why didn't you tell me that Richard was engaged"

Realizing that Joey thought he had lied on purpose, Chandler stammered"But it-it doesn't matter! They kissed. Richard's come back three times since they first broke up, and he always falls back in love with her. Why should this time be any different? He'll change his mind and go back to her for good now."

Joey was clearly unconvinced by this line of reasoning, and he returned to the phone conversation instead. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Monica! I didn't know! Chandler didn't tell me. I'm so sorry! Are you all right"

"No" she moaned.

"Oh, man" Then Joey sat up and realized something. "Wait, you mean you're alone there with the babies? Richard's not even with you, and Chandler just left" He was horrified by this thought and made a quick decision. "All right, you wait there, Monica! Don't do anything. Me and Chandler will be there soon."

"What" she wasn't sure that she heard him correctly, and Chandler was stunned too.

"We're gonna drive back to Westchester now" Joey said and stood up. "Don't worry about anything, Mon! We'll be right there and fix this big mess, okay"

"O-okay" she whispered rather hesitantly, but felt somewhat better that Joey seemed so concerned about her welfare. It was a big contrast to how Chandler had behaved.

"All right. We'll bring dinner too. Bye." Joey then hung up and went into his bedroom to get dressed to go out.

Chandler timidly followed him to the door. "Are you mad at me, Joe"

Joey scowled while he changed out of his bathrobe. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about Richard! First the kids, and then this! You really weren't thinking, were you"

Chandler backed away and winced, worried that Joey was disappointed in him and possibly didn't love him anymore. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. Maybe I don't deserve the kids after all."

Seeing that he was so upset, Joey relented and tried to be patient with him. "Hey, hey! Don't say that. Calm down, all right" He went over to pick up the pizza box and his keys. "Look, the important thing right now is that we go fix things with Monica, and we can't do it over the phone. Come on, let's go." Grabbing Chandler's arm, Joey led them out of the apartment and down the stairs, asking where Chandler had parked his car.

-

In Westchester, Monica hung up the phone and returned to her children's side, both to comfort them and be comforted.

Before Joey's phone call, Monica had been waiting at home for over an hour, watching the twins and trying to tell herself that Chandler had only driven halfway to Manhattan and just needed time to drive back.

She also began tidying up the house to relieve her stress, and that was when she made a discovery. On the coffee table, underneath the stack of papers and other clutter, Monica found several drafts of a handwritten letter from Chandler to Joey.

Apparently, he had been writing this while alone with the twins today. He had crossed out many words, and never really finished. Chandler was clearly embarrassed and unsure about whether to mention the fact that they had kissed. Sometimes he tried to begin neutrally with "I heard that you're losing your job, and I wanted to check that you're okay" or "Ross just called and mentioned that you didn't find out about getting fired until days after I asked you for a loan. I was really worried that it was my fault that you didn't have any money." Other times, he began with an apology about kissing Joey, and even tried to explain the cover story that he had told Monica about that night. "I don't think we should see each other again."

Monica was puzzled when she read"I got your note at my office. Thank you for sending the check, but you should know that we didn't cash it." Then she realized that her husband had lied about not getting a loan from Joey. In fact, when Chandler had tried to go upstairs and take a nap today, he was probably trying to take all these drafts with him and hide them from her.

Reading these half-finished letters depressed Monica, and she started to think about Richard and wish that he could somehow love her, because she really didn't want to be alone now. She even pondered whether she should try calling Ross, Rachel, or Phoebe for help, but she didn't yet feel up to explaining to them what had happened today.

Now that Joey had called her and was coming back with Chandler, Monica wasn't sure what exactly would happen now. What did Joey mean by "fixing" everything? How could anything be fixed? Still, at least Joey had readily believed her about Richard, instead of being dismissive and in denial like Chandler. Would he perhaps convince Chandler to stay with her?

-

Joey and Chandler had to stop at a gas station first to refuel the Porsche, then they continued to Westchester. Joey brooded silently as he drove, while Chandler held the pizza box and pondered what they'd say to Monica.

Because Joey hadn't kissed him or hugged him again, Chandler feared that Joey remained irritated with him, so he apologized once more"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Richard, Joey. I really thought he would come back, and the kids would be fine with him..." He looked ashamed. "I was stupid."

Joey sighed and shrugged it off. "Yeah, but I guess you were all scared about your parents' divorce again, huh? You panicked and rushed out of there, didn't you"

"Yeah." He told Joey more details of his conversation with Monica, then confessed"I just-I just needed to see you again, Joe, and know if we could be together. I missed you so much."

Joey looked at him more tenderly. "I missed you too."

Chandler felt a little better. "I thought about you all the time at work, even before you sent me that note." Remembering that note, he added"Oh, I-I didn't cash your check."

"You didn't" Joey hadn't checked his bank balance lately, but he had assumed that Chandler deposited his check, since he needed the money so bad.

"No, I couldn't. Actually, that night I told Monica that you and me had a big fight, and that you never gave us a loan. I convinced her to get a loan from her parents instead."

"Oh." Joey frowned with concern. "You're gonna be all right? I mean, money-wise"

"Yeah, we were talking about selling the Porsche, and her parents' beach house too." He also explained that Jack Geller had requested that they rename their son because of some Jewish custom.

Joey's eyes widened. "Whoa! That's a big favor."

"Yeah. We were fighting about that. What about you, Joe? Are you gonna be all right, without your job"

"Oh, um, I don't know. Phoebe's helping me out, but I might have to live on my savings and cut back on some stuff for a while."

"I could move in with you, and help you out."

Joey was grateful, but couldn't accept the offer yet. "Thanks, but I think we gotta sort out you and Monica and the kids first." He squeezed Chandler's hand for a moment before returning it to the steering wheel.

"Okay." Chandler sighed, but was glad that Joey had touched him again. He whispered"I-I thought about you every night. I even slept in your old room."

Joey blinked with surprise. "Yeah? I did too. I-I dreamed about you." He blushed to recall how explicit the dreams were, then cleared his throat. "Didn't Monica wonder why you weren't with her"

"We were fighting, and I locked her out of the room. I-I couldn't be with her again. I couldn't even kiss her without wishing it was you."

Joey was touched, though at the same time he felt bad for Monica. He said nothing and squeezed Chandler's hand again.